阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该项涂黑。
A
Like any language, English has many variations in vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation. The differences can be regional or even exist within the same city! As a Canadian who lives in Vancouver, I have always known these differences, but I didn’t get to experience them firsthand until I began attending an American university.
I found that there are some Canadian words that people in the US just don’t understand like “tuque”, which is a warm, knitted hat. My friends tease me every time I use the “washroom,” as the word isn’t used in the US—“bathroom”, “toilet” and “restroom” are often used instead. In a similar way, when I asked my friend what marks he got on his test, he gave me a confused look. People in the US only say “grades”.
Though certain Canadian expressions sound very different from our North American neighbor, they share the same original language because both served as colonies(殖民地) of the former British Empire. This cultural heritage survives through speech and language.
Unlike American English, most Canadian spellings are similar to the British words. In the US, words like “harbour” and “colour” are spelled without the “u”. Even so, some words changed in Canada, like “aluminum”. British people spell and pronounce this word as “aluminium”.
As a result, Canadian English has developed an identity of its own. For example, we cannot forget the most important word in Canadian English: sorry. While it isn’t really the most important word, Canadians have a reputation for being polite and friendly. I want to preserve that reputation and honor my Canadian roots, even while I’m in the United States.
“Language brings with it an identity and a culture…,” wrote South African comedian Trevor Noah in his book, Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Child. “A language barrier says ‘We’re different.’ A shared language says ‘We’re the same’.”
1. Why might Americans fail to understand Canadians sometimes?
A. Canadian English is more challenging.
B. There exist differences in the two languages.
C. Canada is less strongly influenced by the former British Empire.
D. Canadians attach more importance to being polite and friendly.
2. As a Canadian, the writer ________.
A. never sees the difference between different kinds of English
B. is always looked down upon by his friends in the US
C. found great difficulty adapting to university life in the US
D does not want to lose his identity as a Canadian
3. We can learn from the text that ________.
A. language is an important carrier of culture B. most of the languages have the same origin
C. one culture’s meat is another culture’s poison D. honesty is the key to crossing the language barrier
